India captain Shubman Gill produced another memorable innings at Edgbaston, scoring a fluent 80 to guide his side to a comfortable six-wicket victory over England in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Birmingham on Tuesday. The win gave India a 1-0 lead and marked their first victory of the ongoing tour of the United Kingdom.
Axar Patel, who had come under criticism for modest returns during the recent T20I series, responded with a match-winning all-round performance. After claiming 4/62 with the ball, he remained unbeaten on 57 from 52 deliveries to steer India home alongside Washington Sundar, who finished on an unbeaten 52 off 63 balls.
Pursuing a target of 259, India appeared firmly in control before a brief wobble left them at 160 for 4. Axar and Washington then ensured there would be no further alarms, adding an unbroken 102-run partnership as India reached the target in 45.2 overs.
Gill looked destined for what would have been his 10th ODI century before cramps brought his innings to an early end. Troubled by both a calf problem and a hamstring issue, the Indian skipper retired hurt after a commanding 80 off 75 balls that featured 11 boundaries and a six.
The elegant right-hander once again demonstrated why Edgbaston has become one of his favourite venues. During India's Test victory at the ground last year, Gill had compiled scores of 269 and 161. He carried that rich form into the one-day format with another authoritative display.
India found themselves under pressure after the early departures of Rohit Sharma for 11 and Virat Kohli for 5, with the scoreboard reading 48 when the second wicket fell. Gill then assumed control of the chase, combining composure with strokeplay as he rebuilt the innings.
His partnership of 101 runs for the third wicket with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who contributed 35, put India firmly on course. Gill's innings was highlighted by elegant cover drives, crisp on-drives and a beautifully struck pulled six off Josh Tongue.
The complexion of the chase briefly changed after Gill retired hurt. Iyer, well set at the crease, was run out after a mix-up that forced him to cover extra ground while attempting a second run.
KL Rahul's dismissal followed soon after when Josh Tongue beat him for pace and induced an inside edge onto the stumps.
Axar and Washington, however, responded impressively after both had struggled with the bat in the T20I series. They weathered a testing spell from Jofra Archer before capitalising against England's spinners, with captain Harry Brook persisting with spin in search of breakthroughs.
With Gill having removed much of the scoreboard pressure, the pair settled into their innings and steadily guided India to victory.
Earlier, Joe Root and Liam Dawson rescued England with a seventh-wicket stand of 121 after the hosts suffered a dramatic collapse.
England had made a solid start, reaching 61 without loss by the beginning of the 13th over, but then lost six wickets for 46 runs to slump to 107 for 6 by the end of the 22nd over.
Root led the recovery with a composed 76 from 76 balls, while Dawson struck a career-best 68 off 83 deliveries as England recovered to post 258 after choosing to bat first.
Root paced his innings intelligently, waiting until Jasprit Bumrah had completed his opening spells before attacking Axar Patel and Prasidh Krishna as the pitch became easier for batting. Among his standout strokes was an audacious ramp shot off a Bumrah bouncer. His innings included six fours and a six.
Although Bumrah returned figures of 1 for 31 from nine overs and once again stood out for his control and quality, Gurnoor Brar claimed 2 for 61 from nine overs, while Prasidh Krishna picked up 2 for 50 in his full quota despite proving expensive at times.
After Root and Dawson had revived England's innings, Axar struck repeatedly to remove the lower order and finish with four wickets, ensuring the hosts were restricted to a total India ultimately chased down with ease.
Also Read |Jasprit Bumrah Scripts History, Becomes First Indian to Register Rare Triple Milestone
Also Read | 'Oh My God': BCCI Alerted To Alleged Friction Between Gautam Gambhir And Ajit Agarkar
